Travel Oregon Targets Canucks With Sponsorship
A private box in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, for a Vancouver Canucks hockey game, was the venue for a recent promotional event by the Oregon Tourism Commission (also known as Travel Oregon).
Invited guests met with eleven suppliers from the Pacific Northwest, who assembled there after attending either the Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show in Vancouver or the trade-oriented Go West Summit in Anchorage, AK.
Together, they all took in the game, which pitted the Nashville Predators against the Canucks. And they had the good fortune to see a tie game go into overtime, and then a shoot-out. The Canucks were on the winning side of a 4-3 score.
Travel Oregon chose the Rogers Arena venue to celebrate its sponsorship of the Canucks.
Why this sponsorship?
According to Lorna Davis, global sales manager for Travel Oregon, residents of both Oregon and B.C. have many similar interests and these include cheering for sports teams in the Pacific Northwest.
“We would like to encourage B.C. residents to visit Oregon,” she said. With both being located on the West Coast, there are many complementary interests, including rock climbing, fishing, white water rafting and indulging in F&B options, said Davis. As the second largest hop producing state in the U.S., it is no surprise that the city of Portland features over 70 craft breweries. Plus, there are over 900 wineries in the state.
To further appreciate what the state offers, Travel Oregon’s “Why Guides” program encourages visitors to experience the region with a knowledgeable expert. This initiative promotes tour operators, guides and outfitters as one of the state’s top tourism assets.
In a nod to sustainability, First Nature Tours in Portland offers regenerative travel projects that allow visitors to participate in meaningful activities, such as going to the Willamette National Forest to plant trees in areas devastated by wildfires.
Today, Canada remains the largest inbound market for Oregon. Davis is hopeful that by 2024, Canadian arrivals will rebound to 2019 numbers. “Canada will be the first market to bounce back,” she predicts.
Davis encouraged people to keep watching and rooting for the Canucks because at the end of the season, one lucky person will win a trip for two to Oregon that includes five nights’ accommodation, flights on Air Canada and Canucks-branded luggage.
Go to www.TravelOregon.com for more.
In the photo
Taking in the Vancouver Canucks game were (l. to r.) Sylke Neal-Finnegan, VP of marketing & communications for the Washington County Visitors Association and Elli Blakeman, GM of Kex Portland.
